


Countdown

by eanard



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, just the story is about xing and chanyeol, there's everybody though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 07:22:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10531662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eanard/pseuds/eanard
Summary: Yixing is a Grim Reaper that hasn’t sent any soul into the afterlife.- inspired by suho's webdrama





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to post it as a one shot, but I want some feedback about the story first.

The last thing he remembers before dying is the face of a boy hovering over him, tall body blocking the sun, ears popping out and eyes like saucers. That’s all Zhang Yixing remembers from his life. He's lucky he knowns his own name at least. 

Death for the living seems like the end of the world, of their existence. But it’s not that. It’s not that at all. Instead, it's a new beginning, a continuation, a prologue. Life isn't over, it goes beyond death. But either way, death is sad. He still feels a certain amount of pity when someone dies and their loved ones cry for them to comeback. That's why he doesn't do the best as a grim reaper. Though he does recognize its better than being a wandering soul with no purpose. 

\---

He notices. He notices his struggles with the language. It's clear he didn't die on his home country. Sometimes he couldn't understand Korean, the pronunciation too fast, but most times he could grasp it. When he was alive he must have studied the language a bit. Enough to get him by. Even in the afterlife. Being bilingual had its props.

 ---

His only friend is the soul of a high schooler. Byun Baekhyun died last year. Though the spirit won’t tell him how or why he was still wandering around the world of the living.

 

"Why are you still here, being a grim reaper, instead of going up?"

"I want to find someone. You?"

"Me? Easy. I want to hear the truth."

\---

His superiors are mad. Four years have passed and not once has he sent a soul into the afterlife. But what can Yixing do? The ones he's assigned to take always miraculously save themselves. As soon as he was close to them, it just took a while for the souls to secure themselves into their human form. Meaning that the countdown on his wrist watch would be meaningless.

 

"You have to be able to send souls this year."

"Yes Sir."

\---

Baekhyun shares his story on a cloudy night. It was late, past midnight. Yixing and him where the only ones in the park, whether from the realm of the dead or the living.

 

"I was murdered." 

 

It was too quiet. The leaves scattering, cold breeze passing under the moonlight.

 

"I was murdered by one of my classmates."

"Why?"

"Because he was a fucking coward. He even changed schools to try to erase his conscience."

 

Baekhyun was getting angrier, the lights on the street lamps flickering as his frown deepened and his fists clenched.

 

"He was ashamed of himself, to the point he had to kill me to try and be someone he's not" the tension on his shoulders subside, and then the only thing Yixing can see is a fragile teenager "He killed me because he liked me. Because he, Kim Jongdae, liked me, but couldn’t accept the fact that he liked me. That we liked each other and I-"

 

The boy chokes, eyes on the brink of tears. Yixing gives Baekhyun's ghostly hand a squeeze. He's here. He's listening.

 

"He never admitted it. Jesus, I don't care about the fact that he killed me anymore. I just want to hear him tell me the truth, not lies or excuses. I want him to tell me that he loves me. Because I know he did. I, more than anyone know he did."

 

Baekhyun cries. Yixing offers his shoulder.

\---

It’s after another year failing at his job and Baekhyun still searching for Jongdae, when Yixing starts to see him everywhere.

Apparently, a new hot idol group had just debuted. Apparently, the only thing Yixing remembers from his life is the face of a rookie idol.

 

Chanyeol.

\---

During his free time, he looks over the boy. For being a new group, they've already gathered a lot of fans. Girls screaming and shouting names. Chanyeol is definitely one of the public favorites. All eyes and cameras alike seem to orbit over to his tall figure. Yixing just can't seem to think they were related in the past.

\---

The more he looks over Chanyeol, the more he notices little details. For example, every time the tall boy smiles, one corner of his mouth goes higher than the other. Or that he's scared of fireworks. Or that he hates dancing. It makes him laugh. This boy makes him laugh. The fans chose a good nickname. Happy Virus indeed.

\---

"Why would you kill them? They have barely lived their lives. It makes no sense."

"Not them. Just one."

"Either way, why?"

"Its orders from the higher ups."

 

Yixing couldn’t understand. Why did one of Chanyeol's bandmates need to die? They were barely a year into the business and the heavens wanted one of the boys? It didn’t make sense. Why not an iconic older group? Why them? 

He opened his mouth, slowly, scared to hear the answer to the question he was about to make.

 

"Who? Who is it"

"The one with park. Park Chanyeol"

 

Oh no.

\---

He sees Chanyeol once more that night. The tall boy was buying food at a convenience store, hoodie on and mask secured around his face. Yixing sighed. Why did he have to die?

It was horrible. Because apparently, his superiors were very fast. The idol came out the convenience store, bag of goods in hand, and cautiously crossed the road. It was obvious what was about to happen. Scenes of Chnayeol's body flying into the air and then hitting the asphalt flashed in front of Yixing eyes, the truck quickly upcoming.

Yixing didn’t think. He didn’t think at all when he rushed towards the boy and pushed him away from the truck’s way. The idol falling backwards, grocery bag falling from his grasp and body crushing against the sidewalk. The truck sped up and went through Yixing. For a moment, he thought it’ll hurt, but then he remembered he was dead, just a ghost. It went through him and continued its path, the only remains of the vehicle being the lingering smell of gas.  If he’d been a second late, the truck would have crushed into the living boy. When he looked at the boy, he felt relieved. Not yet. Not yet. Chanyeol couldn’t die just yet. Yixing won’t permit it. 

\---

He lost his job, his boss quickly dismissing him for committing such an act. _Grim reapers take lives, not save them._ After all this time, they finally fired him.

Yixing was about to leave the building when he’s called back again into the boss’ office. He takes the elevator and heads down the hallway to the right. Then he knocks on the last door, the manager’s door. It opens. He sits down on the guest chair.

 

“Yixing” Kim Junmyeon, his supervisor, sighs “Why did you blow this chance up? I gave you an opportunity and yet, you couldn’t appreciate it.”

 

The first person he met after dying was Junmyeon, who’d been a promising writer when he was alive. Being disoriented and confused, Yixing followed the man. He explained the situation and offered him a job. Since then he’s been working as a Grim Reaper.

 

“I’m going to help you. I never told you, but I owe you” his boss said.

Yixing frowned. “Owe me?”

“You weren’t supposed to die that day, you died by a mistake I made.”

 

He wants to remember, remember the day he died, he wants to remember it so desperately. But still, all he remembers is Chanyeol, the road, and the sky shinning behind his back.

Junmyeon gives him a digital wrist watch, then explains it. Every time the idol was about to die, a countdown would start.

 

“But how do I come back to life?”

“You’ll have to imitate the way you died.”

 

That, that is something he does surely remember.

\---

“I can still talk to you when you’re alive right?” Baekhyun asks, head resting on Yixing’s lap.

“Of course.”

\---

He stands in the middle of the road. He runs, quickly towards the direction of the approaching hoard of cars. He feels his body hit against cool metal. His vision blurs. He blacks out.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to divide it into three parts. And I'll DEFINITELY!!! NOT!! DROP!!! THE STORY!!!!


End file.
